Have you hiked Redmond's "Mystery Trail?"

Trailhead to Nike Park
"Whitey" is running from the "Mystery Trail" onto Perrigo Heights sewer easement road

The Redmond Parks and Trails Commission has been anticipating and planning for Redmond's Centennial Celebration for quite sometime.  A "Centennial Trail" is on the drawing boards.  It's a patchwork of hiking trails that could loop around the entire city once completed.

The Centennial Trail map hasn't been released to the public so it's length and location are unknown.  As far as the public knows, right now it doesn't officially exist.  Several "missing links" have slowed it's completion.

This final missing trail link between Nike Park and the Ashford Trail (and Hartman Park Trails) was discovered by a hiker last year near the "Perrigo Heights" development. The trail-head starts off at the Perrigo Heights sewer easement road and goes south through the forest up a series of switchbacks and small ravens to Nike Park.  From Nike the trail runs to Avondale.

Prior to construction of the switchbacks it was impossible to hike the steep slopes around Perrigo Heights development to, and from, Nike.   A citizen, excited by 'the find' reported the switchbacks to the Parks and Trails department.  Two city planners went out and took pictures. This trail link was a mystery to them!  They said it was too big a job for Parks to do.   So, a phone call was made to Camwest, the Perrigo Heights developer, since the trail link is built on their easement. The trail was new to them!

It's truly a mystery that no one will take credit for building this missing link to the "Centenniel Trail."   Do you know why?  Updated, 2/28/19:  Sections of the trail are on private property. Have you been on this trail, yet?  A tip:  Ashford Trail starts at NE 100th Street and 172nd Avenue near the Redmond BMX Bike Park. 

Report and Photo by Bob Yoder

Read the earlier story of 09/1/2010:  "Education Hill hiker asks for a Nike - Hartman Trails connector"